How to use Snapchat Spectacles Effectively

How to use Snapchat Spectacles Effectively?

Snapchat, yes, the popular social media networking sites that many people (mostly millennials) are engaged with. With an improved version of the Snapchat spectacles, many YouTubers (mostly celebrity YouTubers) are testing out this new gadget. Being a social media marketer, I thought it would be nice to know how this Snapchat spectacle work and how to use it effectively.

Purchasing Snapchat Spectacles

First thing to note is that, Snapchat spectacle is not available for purchase outside of the U.S. Of course, there are people who bought it directly from Snapchat and sells it on Amazon, Ebay, on other e-commerce and social commerce (e.g. Groupon) sites. Snapchat spectacles started its sales through their bots, or better known as Snapbot (see image below).

Photo by Snapchat

Snapchat spectacles started selling its spectacles online directly from their retail website. It costs USD129.00. However, depending on where you live, sales tax might be included. Shipping cost (appx.USD5.00) is also not included in the retail price.

The Set-up

The set-up of the spectacles is fairly simple. There is an instruction pamphlet included in the spectacle case. There are also help available online under “Product Support”. The neat thing about the spectacle case is that it serves as a case and as a charger. How to charge the case? It comes with a USB cable which you can charge it. The case is a little bulky but very sturdy. Your spectacles are definitely safe in that case. Before you purchase the spectacles, you want to make sure that your smartphone is compatible with the specs of the Snapchat spectacles. I have a Google Nexus phone, which is an Android phone, and it works perfectly. You want to make sure that your Android or iOS phone is compatible.

Real Time Action

After the set-up, I started playing with it. Initially, I wasn’t sure if the camera was working since I am not able to see the camera light (circling around the camera), which indicates that it is filming. However, I soon figured out that if I were to look left (moving my eyeballs to the corner of my eye), I can see a dim light. That is when I know that the spectacle is actually filming. When the light around the camera starts flickering, it is an indication that the filming is coming to an end. Every time I finish a 10sec short, I will check it on my phone. Remember to have your Bluetooth on so that you can sync the spectacles with your phone. Under your Snapchat app, the videos recorded via your spectacles will appear under “Specs”.

Editing

Snaps that are taken via Snapchat spectacles can be edited. How? You will need to go to “Specs”, view those snap videos and edit it as you would for a regular snap. Those snaps can be shared via several platforms as well. You can email, share it on Google drive, share it on Slack, etc.

Advice

I used this spectacle during the day and in the evening. The video quality is the best when it has a lot of natural light. It will get a little pixelated when the environment is a little dark. Thus, if you decide to purchase this spectacle and want to get the best quality, I would recommend using it in broad daylight. It is pretty fun to use. Privacy issue? Since the camera light goes on when you are filming, it serves as an indication to others. Of course, there is an option to edit and blur out people’s faces if you are still worried. People in Japan are still not exposed to such a gadget yet and so they will look at you weird when you start walking around with those spectacles on.

This is another great example of consumer-generated content. I am not being paid by Snapchat but I thought I share my experiences with you as a fellow social media marketer. If you need to have more information, check out this YouTube video for its review! Have fun Snapchatting!